-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- You got to give the people , now
Give the people what they want

-- The O'Jays

Now that Republicans have control of both houses of Congress , they are going to have to do better -- and do right by all Americans , not just their fringe conservative base .

In the first days of the newly minted 112th Congress , after the 2010 midterms gave Republicans control of the House of Representatives , the American people were clamoring for action on jobs and the economy .

What did the new Republican House give them ? One of the first laws introduced was the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act . Whereas existing federal law already limited the use of government funds to pay for abortion , there were exceptions for incest and rape . The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act attempted to narrow the definition of rape to only involving force .

Republican House Speaker John Boehner called the legislation a top priority for his caucus . Maybe for conservative Republicans but certainly not for most Americans , especially when unemployment was 9 % and the economy was still reeling from the Great Recession .

Then , as now , Americans say the economy is the most important problem facing the country . Even all the fear and fear-mongering around ISIS and Ebola has n't changed this . People are far more worried about the economy and the job market . Abortion barely registers as a concern in the polls .

Meanwhile , Republicans have touted a list of `` more than 30 jobs bills '' they have passed in the House but have failed in the Democratic Senate . The party has even printed the list on handy flash cards so that the likes of Boehner can carry them in their pockets and wave around at political events . But those so-called `` jobs bills '' include repealing Obamacare , gutting clean air and water regulations , and weakening the National Labor Relations Board .

In other words , they 're not really jobs bills but simply fig leaves for conservatives ' long-standing ideological agenda . Economists say the actual job growth impact of the GOP agenda is next to zero -- not to mention the harm it will do to working Americans who rely on wage standards and protections , or the 10 million-plus Americans who have gained health insurance through Obamacare .

When Republicans controlled just one house of Congress , they perpetually and annoyingly passed symbolic pet legislation that stood no chance of becoming law . Now that Republicans control both houses , that behavior wo n't just be irritating but downright irresponsible .

The American people have entrusted Republicans with control of Congress . They expect Congress to lead , not continue to throw partisan temper tantrums . Leading , in this context , means passing laws that solve real problems and are in forms that both parties agree on . No more Orwellian circus shows .

For six years , Republicans have condemned President Barack Obama and the Democratic agenda . Regardless of how the midterm results panned out due to a handful of races in red and maroon-ish purple states , the fact remains that the Democratic agenda is broadly and strongly supported .

Most Americans support extending unemployment benefits , passing paid sick leave , lowering student loan rates and raising the minimum wage , as was reflected in ballot measure results across the country Tuesday .

It 's why many of the Republicans who won their races actually ran as rhetorical liberals , trying to mask their unpopular stances on women 's issues and more .

Going into this election , while only 23 % of Americans have a `` very positive '' view of Obama and just 12 % view the Democratic Party very positively , the favorability percentage for the Republican Party is even lower -- just 7 % , according to one survey . Not exactly time to spike the football .

Of course , no party should govern based solely on popular referendum . That would be stupid . But governing without any concern for what the people want is insane .

Seven in 10 Americans oppose limiting access to abortion , according to a recent poll . So why is it that in the past three years , state legislatures have passed more anti-abortion measures than in the entire previous decade ?

The new Republican leadership in Congress should focus on issues such as rebuilding our crumbling bridges and other public infrastructure , or passing bipartisan immigration reform to help level wages and working standards for everyone in America . Maybe there are even reasonable compromises to be found in reforming the tax code , making it simpler and more transparent while at the same time fairer .

Either way , the GOP should stop shutting down the government and blocking the President 's appointments .

Sure , the American people blame both parties for gridlock . But when asked , they place more blame with Republicans . Now that they have full power in Congress either to compromise or not with the White House , Republicans have no more excuses .

And if Republicans do n't start learning how to lead in a responsible , bipartisan fashion , the American people will have no more patience .

In 1975 when the O'Jays sang `` Give the People What They Want , '' they sang about the people wanting `` better education now '' and `` better food to eat '' and `` better homing '' -LRB- by which I assume they meant housing , not pigeons -RRB- . The O'Jays were singing about the real world -- real people and problems that political leaders should be addressing .

Republicans have to stop singing their tired tune of `` Criticize Everything President Obama Does '' and instead starting singing harmony with the Democrats to get things done in Washington and , yes , `` Give the People What They Want . ''

We have real problems in America that need real solutions and real leaders doing the hard work of governing together . Here 's hoping Republicans are up to the task to which they 've been elected .

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Sally Kohn : Now that the GOP has control of Congress , it needs to do a better job

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Kohn : Republicans must go beyond their fringe conservative base and ideologies

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Crumbling infrastructure , immigration , good wages are issues that matter , she says

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Kohn : GOP should stop shutting down the government and show it 's up to task at hand